Second thoughts

— Kemp not impressed with dunk

Former Seattle SuperSonics forward Shawn Kemp wasn’t impressed by Blake Griffin’s winning dunk in last weekend’s NBA All-Star dunk contest.

The Los Angeles Clippers rookie forward jumped over the hood of a Kia Optima to winthe dunk contest at the Staples Center, the home of the Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. The dunk was well-received by fans and players, but not Kemp.

“I’m a big Blake Griffin fan, butthat dunk at the contest might have been the weakest dunk in the dunk contest that I’ve seen in a long time,” Kemp told KJRAM in Seattle on Wednesday.

“I love the choir and all thatstuff was great, but you at least gotta jump over the car though, right? He swung over the car and landed on the hood of the car. I think he should at least be able to jump over the front of the car.”

Nicknamed “The Reign Man,” Kemp played for the SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic in a 14-yearcareer. While he has been out of the NBA since 2003, Kemp feels he can top Griffin’s dunk.

“I’m 41 years old and right now I could do it,” Kemp said.

“Two Smart cars.”

Kemp competed in three dunk contests, all with Seattle.

His best finish was second behind Boston’s Dee Brown in 1991.

CSI: NY Jets

New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan took time away from making Super Bowl predictions about his team to appear in an episode ofthe CBS crime drama CSI: NY.

Ryan plays himself in the episode, which was shot Wednesday in Los Angeles.

CBS said Ryan and Jets General Manager MikeTannenbaum appeared in a scene with Gary Sinise and Eddie Cahill that will air in the spring.

Ryan isn’t the first Jets coach to appear on a well-known television show: Eric Mangini had a cameo on HBO’s The Sopranos in 2007.

Maybe the next Jets coach can appear on NBC’s Law & Order: SVU or whatever version of Law & Order the network will come up with in three years.

Full of himself

New York forward Carmelo Anthony has played just onegame with the Knicks, but he’s already in a New York state of mind: full of bluster and bravado.

Anthony, who scored 27 points in the Knicks’ 114-108 victory overthe Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, offered these gushing quotes to Newsday’s Neil Best.

“I think New York needed a moment like this.”

“I’m pretty sure if any of you guys were GMs or owners you’d want me and Amar’e [Stoudemire] on the same team as well.”

“New York was the place to bring my talent.”

That’s a lot of talk from a player who has never played in the NBA Finals.

Quote of the day

“Knowing we can go out and play a game like

we did ... it’s like, why

haven’t we been doing that all season?” Arkansas point guard Jeff Peterson after a 77-76 victory over No. 22 Kentucky

Sports, Pages 20 on 02/25/2011

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